The invention relates generally to an illuminable wall socket plate that can be installed easily to replace existing wall socket plates. The wall socket plate in accordance with the present invention has metal tabs and conductive material on the back of the plate to supply electric current to a light in the plate. More particularly, the metal tabs conduct electric current from socket terminal screws for lighting a light in the illuminable wall socket plate.
Various wall socket plates have been devised and constructed with features that enhance or add to the standard wall socket plate. Examples of enhanced wall socket plates include U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,653 which covers a multiple function wall cover plate with a front cover and a bottom base, prongs to supply electricity from an existing receptacle, a light between the front cover and the back base and a fragrance refill means. The multiple function wall cover plate uses one prong set to plug into an existing wall socket receptacle to power one or more new receptacles on the multiple function wall cover plate and to power the added features of the multiple function wall cover plate. Unlike the present invention, the '653 patent requires the use of existing receptacles to power the multiple function wall cover plate and requires a bulky system to provide new receptacles in order to maintain the original number of receptacles in the wall socket.
In a search for light emitting diode nightlights the following patents were reviewed: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,816,682, and 7,036,948. U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,682 claims an electric faceplate and a method for attaching a nightlight adjacent to an electrical receptacle. The application shows that electrical wires from the existing electrical receptacle are used to power the adjacent nightlight, unlike the invention described herein. The nightlight in the '682 patent further is adjacent to the electrical receptacle, designed to fit onto the side of a faceplate, and is powered by electrical wires in the faceplate. U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,948 describes a light embedded in the electric receptacle that is receptive to the lighting in the room and can increase or decrease it's power based on the voltage in the room. The '948 patent described standard copper wire means to provide current to the lighting system embedded in the light receptacle cover, unlike the invention disclosed herein.
Other U.S. references found include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,015,698; 3,307,030; 3,895,225; 4,774,641; 5,683,166; 6,089,893; 6,709,126; 6,648,496. None of the prior references discovered describe or show the ability to power an illuminable wall socket plate without blocking one socket receptacle or using the prongs of one socket receptacle to power a light. The ability to use electric current in wall socket terminals to power a light in an illuminable wall socket plate is a unique discovery in accordance with the present invention.